Ruled By Secrecy
by Tripower
Summary: [Summary Edit] Anna has no memory of Elsa, princess of Arendelle and her lover anymore. She continues to live her life as a blacksmith and knight until Elsa, now queen, fled to the North Mountain after creating a perpetual winter on the kingdom. Anna decided to look after the queen to protect her from Hans, who wants to take the throne. ELSANNA, AU! M for later chapters.
1. Prologue: Karma

**AN**:Thanks to jay357 for correcting all the spelling and grammar mistakes in that chapter. The story is based on a concept art you can find on my profile page.

In this story, the title of every chapter is the title of a song (I'll always write the author of the song next to the title).

Also, the story seems going fast because of this chapter, but I insist in telling it's a prologue. The later chapter will be a slower pace.

**Disclaimer**: Frozen belong to Disney (obviously), the OCs are mine however. It's an Elsanna story, so if you don't like it don't read it... I'm even surprised that you clicked on the link. You have been warned!

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**Prologue – Karma (by Bump Of Chicken)**

"Anna!"

Silence.

Still sleeping.

Vlad Thorstein sighed. He wanted to wake up his daughter. But unfortunately, he could not and resumed his task by hammering the white-hot metal on the anvil in a steady rhythm. Being the only blacksmith of Arendelle had its advantages. He usually had a constant number of orders and therefore enough money to feed his family – first him and his wife, then both of them with their daughter, and now only him and their daughter. But it had also its disadvantages as people seemed to think that being the only blacksmith of the kingdom gave him the power to create weapons and tools by magic in no time. More than once, Vlad had ended up being forced to finish several important orders at the same time.

Just like today.

The day should have been easy. He only would have had to deliver a bunch of weapons to the royal guards and two swords to the royal knights. That was all. He had planned to spend the day with his daughter and relax afterwards. But no. There would be no time to relax today as a noble family had come earlier this morning for a service. They had asked him to restore an old sword for tonight. The job was simple enough but time consuming. Because of that he wouldn't be able to deliver the weapons to the royal palace. He needed Anna's help.

"I should have refused." He groaned. "Damn that bag of gold coins"

Vlad was a realistic man. He might be nice and generous but he was no fool. He had a daughter to feed and a workshop to take care of. All of this required money. Even if he knew people would always come to him for reparations and other services, that didn't protect him from a shortage of money. Better safe than sorry. But now he really needed his daughter to wake up.

"Ann..."

"I'm coming!"

Vlad sighed in relief this time. But it was cut short when he heard a loud crash on the stairs and his daughter's scream.

"Anna!"

He didn't waste any seconds and dropped his tools to help his daughter, fearing the worst. But he stopped dead in his track as he saw a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair at the door. Anna was massaging her head, pain written all over her face.

"Are you alright firefly?" The blacksmith asked, worried.

Anna looked at her father, finally noticing him standing in the center of the room. She smiled, endeared by the nickname her father still used. She wanted to reassure him.

"Don't worry dad. You know how clumsy I am. I just fell down the stairs."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes dad, I'm fine. You know I have seen worse."

"That's why Anna... Just... Just be careful. Okay? I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I'll be, Dad."

Anna looked at her dad, serious. She knew her mother's death had taken a toll on the family. But it was her father who suffered the most. Ever since that accident, she had tried her best to help him with his job, like her mother had done her.

"So what do you need me to do?" She asked, eager to help.

"I need you to deliver some weapons to the royal guards and knights."

"Royal knights?" Anna was surprised. Her father usually insisted on delivering the swords to the royal knights himself. They were the elite of Arendelle. They took an oath to defend the country against invaders, and to protect the royal family, while the royal guards swore to maintain order and security in the kingdom and the royal palace. The ones who succeeded in becoming royal knights after years of training and a final trial were given a sword during a ceremony to commemorate their newly acquired rank. Vlad Thorstein created all the royal knights' swords. Each of them was specifically designed for its owner. Because of the importance of this ceremony, the blacksmith always insisted on giving the sword to the knight captain, who would perform the ceremony himself. So saying Anna was surprised was an understatement.

"Are you sure dad?" Anna hesitated. "I mean, you can go and I'll stay and continue what you have started…"

"I am restoring an old sword for a customer. You're still too young to do this task alone. I prefer that you do the deliveries firefly. I trust you."

Anna was speechless, disbelief all over her face. She was still processing the words in her head. Her father entrusted her with such an important mission. She was honored by this show of trust. Straightening her body, she looked at her father, determined to make him proud of her.

"I won't disappoint you dad!"

"I'm sure you won't." Vlad only replied, smiling.

-X-

"What are you doing here girl?"

Anna turned and gasped. Before her stood a royal knight. He was tall, imposing, and his dark heavy armor didn't make him any less threatening. His dark teal eyes were scrutinizing her, still waiting for an answer.

Anna froze, trying to avoid his gaze.

She had arrived at the royal palace several minutes ago. She hadn't wasted time loading the shipment destined for the royal guards onto her horse, eager to take the deliveries to the castle. She had never visited the place before. At the beginning, she had been too young to come with her parents. Then the king and the queen had decided to close the gates for obscure reasons when she was five. Since then, the visits to the royal palace were forbidden except for deliveries and still, it usually took several minutes of explanation with the guards at the entrance to get access to the castle. After passing the gates, Anna quickly dropped the crate of weapons at the royal guards' barracks, and found her way to the royal knights' one to deliver the soon-to-be royal knights' swords. Their transport had not been easy. One of the swords was a long broadsword. Being 13 years old, Anna was not really tall for her age and so the weapon was much taller than her. She carried it on her shoulder, and the second sword, a rapier – fortunately - was on her belt.

She was clearly not welcome in the royal palace; she noticed the suspicious glares from the guards at the door and in the courtyard. It was preferable to get rid of the swords and leave immediately. However the very idea of leaving had been wiped from her mind when Anna entered the training ground of the Royal Knights' barracks. Sounds of clashing swords, odors of sweat, steel and leather and a courtyard full of armored soldiers; the redhead was in awe.

Since she had started helping her father, Anna had become curious about sword fighting. She wanted to know the mechanics, the technics in sword wielding. Originally she had only intended to learn to help her father with his work. Then after reading several books, she had genuinely became captivated by the subject. However reading books about the different technics of fighting was different from seeing a real fight. Anna had found herself unable to move, admiring the soldiers training, until a hand on her shoulder had caught her attention and she now found herself under a royal knight's gaze, still waiting for her to answer.

"I…" Anna stammered. "I'm Anna… Anna Thorstein."

"Thorstein?" The man asked. "As in Vlad Thorstein?"

"I'm his daughter."

The knight stayed silent, still staring at Anna, who was starting to become uneasy and scared. 'That's it Anna, you are dead.' Suddenly, the man burst out in laughter. The redhead jumped in surprise.

"Ha Vlad, the damn bastard! He never told me his daughter was such a lovely lady."

A slight blush appeared on Anna's cheeks, stumped by the man's behavior. At first glance, the man looked cold and severe. The impressions were accented by the scar across his face and the dark crimson bangs covering his eyes. His eyes. Anna could see them now. They were full of wisdom and kindness. Without realizing it, Anna relaxed. One thing she had learned, when growing up, was to read people. She was sure of one thing. Eyes didn't lie.

"Thank you, Sir…"

"Alex. Alex Renmeyer. Knight Captain of Arendelle." He smiled. "And I think the swords you are holding are for me, aren't they?"

"Ho yes! Indeed." Anna took both the broadsword and the rapier and gave them to the captain, doing a small bow in the process as a sign of respect.

"Perfect as always." Alex grinned, inspecting the swords in his hands. "You can tell your father thank you and good job."

"I won't forget to tell him, Sir."

Anna bowed again and started to turn around to leave, when the same hand on her shoulder stopped her again

"Wait. Not so fast." Alex laughed. "Your father told me you got an interest in sword fighting."

Anna blushed. She never would have thought her father would tell that to the knight captain.

"I do, but…" She started.

"Well, come with me." The captain didn't let the girl finish as he dragged her to the training grounds, where some training dummies were standing. Two people were training next to them. Two women. When they noticed the captain, they stopped and bowed.

"Captain." The taller one spoke.

Anna's eyes widened. Tanned skin? Accent? It was not uncommon to meet foreigners in Arendelle. Sometimes, these people from other countries would settle here and open a shop, enjoying the peaceful and beautiful place. It was rare however for a stranger to be a royal guard, less likely even to be a royal knight. Certain values and practices were still deeply rooted in Arendelle. Forbidding strangers to be a soldier for the royal family for safety was one of them.

"At ease Tian." Alex Renmeyer spoke. The tall soldier stood up straight.

"You too Sophia." The captain sighed, a smile on his face.

The other soldier looked at the captain a smile on her face.

"Of course father."

'Oh' Anna eventually noticed Sophia's dark crimson hair and dark teal eyes. 'She is his daughter'

"This is Anna, Vlad's daughter, the one who is interested in sword fighting." Captain Alex Renmeyer declared.

"But I never used a sword actually; I just read books about it." Anna quickly replied, her cheeks red. _'Don't tell me he will…'_

"Your father told me. That's why I'm proposing you to try it right now. Is that okay for you?"

_'Oh god! He did.'_ Anna panicked. "I… I don't know." She stammered. "I don't want to interrupt you in your training…"

"Don't worry about that. Those two are the ones who have their ceremony later. I think they trained enough for today."

Without a word, the captain took a training sword, which was lying on a bench and placed it in Anna's hands.

"Let's begin with the basic moves." He smiled.

Anna took a deep breath. It seemed that she had no other choice but to use the sword in her hands. Not that she didn't like it. In reality, she was thrilled. But she would have preferred a minimum of preparations first, and not practicing in front of everyone. She closed her eyes and calmed herself. She needed to focus. She knew the basic moves by heart, after reading the same books over and over. The training sword was a little bit too big for her, so she held it like a broadsword with two hands.

_'Okay Anna. You can do it'_

Anna started by counting in her head, trying to find a rhythm. When she was satisfied with the one she had in mind, she started swinging her sword, repeating the same moves she saw in the book. Feeling confident, she moved her feet, balancing her weight to move in rhythm. Eventually she ended up moving in circle, still swinging her sword in different angles to attack and defend, unfazed by the people who were starting to gather around her, curious.

However her performance was cut short when she missed a side step and fell unladylike on the ground. Everyone started to laugh.

_'Oh great Anna, you're such a klutz!' _The blacksmith's daughter thought, embarrassed. _'No matter what you do, you can't do it right!'_

However, the knight captain wasn't laughing, neither Tian nor Sophia. They were staring at her, serious. Eventually Alex helped Anna to stand up.

"Thanks, Sir." Anna whispered.

"Were you saying the truth when you said you never practiced with a sword?" The captain asked bluntly.

"Y…Yes." Anna replied surprised. 'God did she do it wrong?' 'Good job Anna; you embarrassed yourself once more in front of everyone.'

"Do you want to become a royal knight?" Alex continued.

_'WHAT?'_

"What?"

"Your moves were perfect, Anna, if not for this little accident at the end. If I didn't know it was your first time wielding a sword, I would have thought you had already months of training behind you. You have talent Anna. I don't want that talent to go to waste."

"I… I don't know. I never thought about being a royal knight…"

"I know. You prefer helping your father. I understand. You don't have to become a royal knight, but at least come training with us."

"I need to ask my father."

"I'll talk to him. I just want to know if you want to do it."

Anna stared at the knight captain, thinking. It was surreal. She had planned to deliver the swords and leaving just after. She never would have thought of being dragged onto the training grounds to use a sword and being asked to train with the royal knights. But, as crazy as it could be, Anna was excited; even ecstatic. She couldn't deny that she deeply enjoyed the exercise. She had felt free when she had been moving her sword, powerful when she attacked, confident when she defended. She was at peace. Sword fighting was becoming an escape for her. She knew it.

"I want." She said with confidence.

-X-

"Tian! No! Stop it" Anna heard Princess Elsa shouting.

"She knows your secret Princess. We must kill her." Tian announced with her light accent.

Anna gulped, the tip of Tian's broadsword on her throat. She had started her training only several weeks ago, and she already found herself in a real mess.

It had taken hours for her father to accept Alex Renmeyer's proposition. At the end her father had agreed on the condition that Anna wouldn't become a royal knight. Anna didn't understand why he had been so vehement about it but she hadn't paid much attention. The beginnings had been difficult. She had been forced to juggle between the smithy and the barracks, and other soldiers had been wary of her presence among them. But she had never given up and eventually everything was going smoothly for her.

One day, after her training, Anna had discovered the entrance of the royal garden. That area was forbidden except for the royal family. Anna knew it. But Anna being Anna, she had opened the gates of the garden and entered, led by mere curiosity. But she hadn't expected to find Princess Elsa of Arendelle having a picnic in the center of the garden. She also hadn't expected the snowflakes coming out of the princess' hands to transform into a little snow fox running around her. She had let out a gasp of surprise, which had alerted the princess. Anna hadn't had the time to explain herself as she had heard footsteps beside her. She had turned and had only had the time to see a blade swinging toward her neck to avoid it by bending backwards. Instinctively, she had grabbed her training sword on her belt to block the second attack that she had known would be coming. However she hadn't expected the force behind it. The violence of the attack had disarmed her and made her fall on her back. She was now at the mercy of Tian's sword.

Anna had learned after the beginning of her training that Tian and Sophia were destined to become Princess Elsa's personal bodyguards after becoming royal knights. They were with the princess all the time, except when their presence was needed to train the new recruits. Even during those trainings, they adapted their schedule so at least one of them was still with the princess. Anna had trained with Tian once. She was sure of one thing. You didn't joke with her. She was the perfect example of someone who respected the rules and leniency was a foreign concept to her. Yet Anna could see a glimpse of compassion in her amber eyes. She just didn't show it really easily. Right now she didn't show it at all.

Anna closed her eyes. _'At least I saw a beautiful lady before dying… Wait… What?' _

All of sudden, a cry of pain alerted the redhead, who opened her eyes. Sophia was here. 'Oh thank you god!' The blacksmith's daughter sighed in relief. Sophia was more lenient than her partner. Everyone loved Sophia. She always smiled and was as cheerful as Anna. That's why she was usually the one who trained the new recruits. But her gentle nature was hiding a really perceptive person and sometimes a frightening one, like in this moment. Just now said royal knight was pulling Tian's ears to make her drop her sword.

"Really Tian." She smiled. "You know we mustn't dispute the princess' orders."

"Are you alright?"

Anna turned her head to directly look at mesmerizing blue eyes. She couldn't stop a blush from appearing on her face. She was finally able to take a good look at the princess. Platinum hair pulled back in a bun, fair skin with light freckles on her cheek. The princess was utterly gorgeous.

"Yes." Anna managed.

The princess only smiled and extended her hand to help her stand up.

"I'm sorry for this little accident. Tian is quite overprotective of me." Elsa hesitated.

"No I'm sorry." Anna said in haste. "I shouldn't have been here."

"Indeed." Tian interrupted her, but she was interrupted herself by Sophia who hit her on the head.

"I was just curious and wanted to visit the royal garden." Anna continued. "I didn't think I would find you here. I also never thought you had ice powers."

"About that… It would be nice if you kept that little detail a secret." The princess begged.

"Why? Your power is really wonderful."

"Wonderful but dangerous. I still don't have full control over it. It is for the better that people don't know of my power. Please."

Anna observed Elsa for a moment, noticing the fear in her eyes and the frost on her fingers. The redhead only smiled. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me Princess!"

Elsa smiled in return. "Thanks. It means a lot to me."

Anna felt butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know why but suddenly the princess' smile made her happy. She realized that she would do anything to see this smile on Elsa's face again and again.

Eventually, the older girl invited Anna to have picnic with her. The young trainee couldn't refuse, especially when there was chocolate for dessert. Both of them were under the surveillance of the princess' bodyguards who had been silent the whole time.

"What is it Tian?" Sophia finally noticed the serious look on her partner.

"I fear something may happen to the princess. Thorstein knows too much now. It may be dangerous."

"Let it go Tian. It may be time for the princess to have a friend aside from us. Anna is a sweet girl and a competent soldier. The princess is safe with her."

Tian only stayed silent.

-X-

"I love Elsa."

Those were the first words Anna pronounced when she woke up this morning. She had been seeing Elsa in secret for 3 months in the royal garden. After their first encounter, Elsa had asked, unsure, if Anna would like to come back the day after. Anna had gladly accepted. Since then, they had decided to meet every time Anna was free after her training, without anyone knowing about it. Tian and Sophia agreed on staying silent about their secret meetings, realizing how happy it made Elsa to finally be able to talk to someone who was not them. They just insisted on being present during their meetings.

Anna enjoyed her time with the princess. They would laugh about anything they could think of, eat chocolate, talk or stay silent, enjoying each other's presence. Sometimes Anna would train with Tian and Sophia; Elsa watching or training on her own with her power. They were always in the royal garden, their haven. It was after those three months that Anna realized she couldn't stop thinking of Elsa. She would remember her smile, her laugh and even her scent at night. Her dreams were only about the platinum haired girl with striking blue eyes. The redhead realized her feelings for her friend when she dreamed of her naked in bed and moaning Anna's name. When Anna woke up after her sudden discovery, she was scared at first. It was wrong. She was the daughter of a blacksmith, a commoner. Elsa was the princess of Arendelle. The most beautiful and perfect princess she had ever laid eyes upon. For several days, Anna was distant with Elsa. 'It was only a phase.' She thought. Surely the feeling would disappear in time. But it didn't and Anna could see how Elsa was suffering from her sudden distance. It broke Anna's heart as well. The more she was distant, the more it hurt both of them. Eventually Anna couldn't bear it anymore and asked Tian and Sophia for advice. She was scared. Scared that her friends – yes they were her friends now – would shout at her, saying it was wrong, and stop her from seeing the princess again. But no. They only smiled – and Tian shrugged.

"Took you long enough." The tanned woman smirked.

"You knew?" Anna stammered.

"You two were pretty obvious." Sophia answered.

"You agree on that?

"Your life will be difficult. More difficult than ours. You are the daughter of a blacksmith and she is a princess." Sophia continued. "But you are both strong. Take care of her Anna. Elsa needs you. Tian and I both agreed you are the right one for our princess."

Anna couldn't believe her ears. Tian and Sophia, Elsa's most trusted bodyguards and their friends accepted her love for the princess. She smiled. She couldn't deny it anymore. She deeply loved Elsa.

"I don't even know if Elsa loves me back." Anna realized.

Both royal knights laughed.

"You're really oblivious for someone who knows how to read people." Tian responded.

Thus, the day after, Anna found herself beside Elsa in the royal gardens, eating chocolate. The soldier was stressed, not knowing how to initiate the conversation.

"Are you alright Anna? You haven't touched your chocolate." Elsa asked. She was as stressed as her friend. She eventually concluded that the distance between them was due to the fact that Anna didn't want to see her anymore. Elsa didn't want that. But she could do nothing to prevent that and had to accept the truth even if she would be devastated.

"I don't feel like eating today." Anna smiled, still uneasy.

Silence.

"Elsa?"

"Yes?"

"I want to tell you something."

"You don't want to be friends with me anymore."

"I..W … What?"

"You have been distant for several days. I thought it was because you didn't want to see me (my) anymore."

"NO! Elsa no! That's not that. I… I just discovered I have feelings for someone." Anna declared. 'Okay I said it'

"Oh" Elsa didn't expect that. "Well… This person must be lucky then. Does this person return your feelings?", she dared to say. Elsa had fallen in love with Anna long time ago already. She had hoped for Anna to return her feelings even if a part of her was sure it was impossible.

"I don't know." Anna noticed the glint of hope in the older girl's eyes. Instinctively she inched closer to Elsa. "I think she might."

Elsa looked at Anna, realizing the proximity of the latter. She came closer to Anna as well. "You think she might?"

At this point, Anna's face was only inches apart from Elsa's. She could feel icy breath on her skin and smell her lavender scent. "She doesn't seem to reject my advances."

Eventually they kissed. It was an inexperienced and clumsy one. But for both girls it was an explosion of sensation. It was soft. Anna could taste the chocolate Elsa had been eating earlier, while Elsa could feel the warmth of Anna's lips on her cold ones. Eventually they broke the kiss, in need of air. They looked at each other, eyes filled with love.

"Indeed." Elsa whispered. "She doesn't seem to reject your advances."

"I love you Elsa." Anna simply replied.

"I love you too Anna."

-X-

"I'm going to be a royal knight." Anna declared, her head on Elsa's lap. Elsa was playing with her strawberry bangs, silently listening to her lover. Tian and Sophia were watching them but they were far enough to let the couple some privacy. As usual, the four of them were in the royal garden.

"A royal knight? I thought your father was against it." Elsa said, rising an eyebrow.

"I'll talk to him."

"Why do you want to be a royal knight anyway? I thought you wanted to help your father at the smithy."

"So I can marry you."

"What? Elsa shouted surprised.

"I am only a commoner, love. I can't marry you. Being a royal knight, I can marry people of the nobility or royalty. You for example.

"Anna do you realize what you are asking me"

Anna suddenly got up and looked at Elsa, serious.

"I do. Elsa. I have been thinking about it for weeks now. We have been together for six months already. The best six months of my life."

Elsa blushed, which made Anna smile, endeared by her lover's reaction.

"But I want more Elsa. I want our relationship to not be a secret. I love you more than anything else Elsa and I want to show the world that you belong to me as I belong to you. I'll become a royal knight for you. "

"Anna…"

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle, will you marry me?"

At this moment Elsa was crying. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. It was crazy. Anna was only 14 and she was 17. But at the same time, she knew deep inside her that Anna would keep her promise, as she would keep hers. She was sure of it. Still in tears, she managed saying "yes". Anna smiled, caressing her lover's cheek with her finger before kissing her.

"I'm going to tell my father about my decision of being a royal knight and the good news." Anna said ecstatic.

"I will tell mine too."

-X-

"Anna you're back!" One soldier exclaimed. "We were getting worried because we haven't seen you around. It has already been a week!"

"Sorry guys. I got into an accident in the forest and was stuck in bed." Anna smiled.

"What happened?"

"I don't remember unfortunately. I have a memory loss according to the doctor."

"So you don't remember how you get that white strand in your hair either?"

Anna shook her head.

"Well glad you are safe at least"

Anna laughed, still stiff because of her injuries. She tried to exercise some moves to ease the pain, when she noticed Tian and Sophia leaving the training grounds. "Hey guys, royal bodyguards' duty?"

The two royal knights looked at her and only smiled. Sophia replied. "Yes!"

"Guys you are so lucky. I wish to meet the princess one day." Anna whined.

Tian and Sophia said nothing and only waved at the redhead before entering the castle. They arrived in front of the princess' bedroom. They stopped, feeling the cold emanating from it. They positioned themselves on each side of the door, back on the wall.

"Princess?" Tian spoke.

Silence.

"Anna is getting better. She has recovered and is already resuming her training."

"And?"

Tian heard Elsa through the door, her voice full of pain.

"And as planned, she forgot everything about her encounters with you those last months and everything related to it."

"Good."

A sob.

The two royal knights could hear the ice growing behind and under the door.

"Princess..." Tian started. "Don't you think it was a little bit extreme..."

"No it's better that way. Anna will be safer that way. She must forget me. It is better that she stay(ed) far away from the monster I am."

Tian took a glance at Sophia. The latter shook her head. They both knew that their master had made her choice and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. As dutiful bodyguards, they stayed silent and watched the princess of Arendelle, listening to her sobs without flinching.

On the other side of the door, Elsa was on the ground with her back on the door. She was looking at the snowflakes frozen in the air, eyes in tears.

"Anna."


	2. Chapter 01: Forces

**AN:** Sorry for the huge delay, life had been hard recently, but everything should be fine from now on, and I'l do my best to update faster!  
Also thanks for the follow, fav, and reviews!

Summary had been updated, since it was confusing... sorry for that :/

About the first chapter, I know it was quite fast. It was a prologue. I wanted to introduce Elsa and Anna first meeting, but not dwell on it, since it was not the main purpose of the story. So I can assure you, that the story will go smoothly and at a normal pace now.

Unedited chapter, because well... I need a beta XP So if someone is interested PM me. So sorry for all kind of mistakes you may find in that chapter :/

Review are really appreciated :))

**Disclaimer:** Frozen belong to Disney (obviously), the OCs are mine however. Elsanna story, so don't like it, don't read it.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 01: Forces, by Susumu Hirawasa**

**One year later.**

"Princess?"

Elsa opened her eyes. The knock at the door startled her. She was sitting on the floor, her back on the door. Her memory still foggy, she wondered where she was again. Eventually she recognized her bed in the center of the room. However, her heart sank when she noticed the thin layer of snow on it. In fact the whole room was covered in snow, with snowflakes frozen in the air.

She remembered.

Her parents were dead.

She was alone now.

Elsa felt tears in her eyes. It shouldn't have happened like that. Two weeks. It was only a trip of two weeks to Corona. Everything should have been back to normal after this trip. But unfortunately fate decided of something else for her parents. Their ship got caught in a ruthless tempest on their way. It was a wonderful ship, made of the hardest wood in the whole kingdom and operated by the most skilled marines. But even the most magnificent ship couldn't resist the wrath of the ocean and only one huge wave has been enough to sink the ship. Elsa heard about the accident two weeks later after their departure, the day they were scheduled to arrive. That day it took all Elsa's will to not create a snow storm all over the kingdom. She succeeded in channeling her power and creating said snow storm in her bedroom, with Sophia and Tian making sure no one would notice the snow and cold temperature inside the castle during summer.

The funeral has been organized two days later. Elsa had been ready to go. But at the last moment, her feelings had got better of her. She hadn't been able to control her power and had stayed in her room, with Tian guarding it, while Sophia had gone to the funeral.

"Princess?"

Elsa snapped out of her thoughts.

A knock on the door. More insistent this time.

"Tian?" Elsa asked.

"Princess. God, I feared something happened to you while I was gone." The royal knight sighed in relief.

"Sorry Tian. I didn't want to scare you. I just fell asleep…"

"Don't worry about it. The events of those last days are having a toll on me as well…"

"How is Sophia?" The princess asked.

Silence.

"It is hard for her as well." Tian eventually whispered. If not for the painful silence in the castle, Elsa wouldn't have heard her bodyguard.

"I'm so sorry Tian."

The king and the queen were not alone on the ship. It was the royal knights' duty to protect the royal family wherever they go. Knight Captain Alex Renmeyer and other knights volunteered to escort the king and queen to Corona, while the commandment of the army had been given to his sister Olga Renmeyer in Arendelle. Sophia had learned of her father's death at the same time as Elsa. She had stayed stoic, emotionless even. She hadn't cried, but her usual smile on her face had disappeared. Tian and Elsa knew better. It was Sophia's coping mechanism: showing no emotion to feel nothing even if in reality the bodyguard has been devastated. It had been during the funerals she had her breakdown. The event happened three days ago. Since then, Tian had been juggling between taking care of Sophia and protecting Elsa. When the bodyguard was with her partner, it was Olga Renmeyer, now Knight Captain, who was protecting the remaining royal member in the castle. Elsa has been relieved of this decision, since Olga had been her first bodyguard before Tian and Sophia. In her actual state, she wouldn't have been able to deal with a perfect stranger in front of her door.

"I would like to request you something, Princess." Tian eventually asked, behind the door.

"What is it Tian?"

"I wish to take Sophia outside of the city for her to take her mind off things. It will be for one day only."

"Of course you can."

"Someone needs to look after you tomorrow then."

"Olga can't do it?"

"Unfortunately no. Our troops are scheduled to leave Arendelle in five days. Olga is taking care of the preparations with the other Royal Knights."

"Oh right."

Elsa berated herself for forgetting something so important. Before leaving, her father agreed to help an ally in war with a rival country. Because of diplomatic reasons, the king decided to deploy his royal knights into the war to help that ally. Olga and other royal knights had agreed to go.

"Then don't worry about it Tian. I'm sure nothing will happen in one day. The royal guards will keep me safe." Elsa reassured, not wanting to be the reasons for Tian to cancel her outing with Sophia.

"I won't let you alone Princess and I have thought of someone already."

"Who?"

Silence.

"Tian?"

"I will ask Anna for her help."

"NO!" Elsa shouted. Her answer was immediate. Abruptly, memories of the accident of last year were flowing in Elsa's mind. The room was getting colder as fear was taking over her. "I made the choice of staying far away from Anna and you know why!"

"And I think you remember that I didn't approve of your extreme decision."

"Anna doesn't remember me or anything that happened that day, so obviously that put an end to our relationship." Elsa said, more to her than to Tian. Elsa had kept repeating that sentence in her head, making it her mantra when her resolve was shaky. It was the most rational solution. Elsa couldn't be with Anna anymore. She couldn't see her. It was impossible.

Suddenly, it dawned on Elsa.

"Tian, I hope you are not choosing Anna so she can remember everything by being by my side."

"I won't deny that I thought about it. But it was not the main reason why I chose Anna."

"Why then?"

"I chose Anna because she is the only one who is skilled enough to protect you and I trust her to do so."

Elsa stayed silent. Except for the Renmeyer and Arendelle family, Tian had never trusted anyone, mostly because of her childhood and what happened to Elsa when she was young. Her trust was destined to the people she deeply cared for. So her trust for Anna was no empty words.

Those words were breaking Elsa's resolve right now. She was so weak. There she was adamant on her distance between Anna and her, how it was the most logical decision and the good one. When in reality, she couldn't deny that she missed Anna. She missed her smile, her laugh, her lips and fingers caressing her skin. The past year had been a pure torture for Elsa to see her former lover, the only person she would ever love, not remembering her and continuing her life like nothing happened. It hurt. Elsa was craving for Anna's presence and she couldn't have it. Not anymore.

_'No Elsa! You mustn't…'_

"Please Elsa." Tian whispered desperate, forgetting all formalities.

That was it. The princess' resolve had been undone by this simple sentence. She stood up and opened the door. Tian turned around, surprised. Elsa gasped when she noticed the dark rings under the taller woman's eyes. She realized that Sophia and she were not the only ones who were suffering. Tian lost also the most important people in her life, the ones who offered her a new life, a second chance. Despite her pain, Tian stayed strong for both of them, until now.

_'I'm such an idiot.'_ Elsa thought.

Suddenly, Elsa put her arms around Tian's waist and her forehead on her shoulder. Tian jumped a little at the sudden and close action.

"I'm so selfish sometimes." Elsa whispered.

"You're not…" Tian tried to reply.

"I am Tian. I almost refused you one day alone with Sophia only because of selfish reasons…"

"They are not selfish…"

Tian was stopped by Elsa's finger on her lips.

"Listen to your princess, would you?" Elsa laughed. "You can go and ask Anna for her help. But if she refuses, I'll be in my bedroom with no bodyguard. That's my final word."

Tian sighed, a little smile on her face.

"Thank you little snow fox." Tian whispered before kissing Elsa's forehead.

Elsa smiled at the use of her old nickname. It reminded her of the old times when she and Sophia had helped Tian to adapt to her new life. Several minutes later, Tian backed away and bowed.

"In that case princess, I shall take my leave for a few minutes. I'll be back shortly."

Tian left.

-X-

"What?" Anna shouted.

The redhead had just finished her training, when Tian came to her. Immediately Anna bowed and stood at attention. But she didn't expect Tian's request and stared at the bodyguard, mouth agape and eyes widened.

"You heard me right Anna. I would like to know if you could look after Princess Elsa tomorrow." Tian smiled.

"But…I … Why can't you tomorrow? And why me?"

"I'm taking Sophia outside of the city, so she could rest for a day."

"Oh I see." Anna nodded. She has been present during the funerals. So she saw when Sophia gave in to her true feelings and broke down in the middle of the place. She had helped her friend until Tian had arrived a moment later.

"… And I chose you Anna because I know you are capable of protecting the princess. So are you up for the job?"

"I… I…" Anna stuttered. Eventually she composed herself and looked at Tian, serious. "It would be an honor to serve the Arendelle family."

Tian gave a genius smile. "Thanks little fox." She bowed and left afterward to go back to the princess. Anna watched Tian departing, looking calm in appearance. But in reality there was a big turmoil inside her.

_'Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm going to meet the princess tomorrow! Okay. Calm yourself Anna. It's no big deal… What are you saying? Of course it's a big deal! I'm going to protect Elsa of Arendelle! The last royal member. Oh my God! What happened if I screw up and she'll die? I'll be responsible for the downfall of the kingdom. What am I going to do?' _

Anna hadn't been able to have a good night rest that night.

-X-

A knock at the door.

Anna gulped. Here she was in front of the princess' bedroom, Tian by her side, waiting. Saying she was nervous was an understatement, as Anna started playing with one of her braids. Tian noticed it and laughed.

"Relax Anna."

"What if I screw up everything?" The redhead protested.

"Everything will be fine. I know you are…"

But Tian didn't finish her sentence as both of them heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Tian?" Elsa asked.

"Princess, Anna Thorstein is here." The bodyguard announced in a formal manner.

"Very well. You can go then Tian. Have a good day."

It was subtle, but Tian could discern fear in Elsa's voice. It was understandable. One year. Elsa and Anna hadn't seen each other for one year. The bodyguard could understand the princess' apprehension about the whole situation. Anna was here, close to her. But she remembered nothing of their relationship and their moments together. Being close to someone and far away at the same time; what a cruel punishment for the princess.

"Anna, I'm letting everything on your shoulder now then." Tian declared a smile on her face. But the sadness in her eyes didn't escape Anna's attention, who starting to worry.

"Is something wrong Tian?" She asked.

"Nothing it concerns you." Tian lied. Then she whispered in Anna's ears.

"I would be grateful however if you succeed in making Princess Elsa leave her room to take a breath of fresh air outside. She needs it."

Then Tian winked at Anna, who stared at her speechless.

Without a word, Tian walked away and joined Sophia, who was waiting for her at the other end of the corridor. She looked tired, big dark circles around her eyes. But she was smiling, waiting for Tian. Anna couldn't suppress a smile on her face, when she saw Tian and Sophia kissing and walking hand in hand. Anna envied their love. She had wished to find her soul mate one day as well. But until now she hadn't found the one. Right?

In silence, Anna positioned herself in front of the royal's door to guard it.

A yawn.

Only one hour had passed and Anna was already bored. _'Gosh how Tian and Sophia do it?'_ Anna groaned. This entire part of the royal palace was totally silent, except for the sounds of one or two handmaid's steps through the corridor. No one except a few people was permitted to enter the royal apartments. Anna had always wondered why so much safety to protect the princess, when the entire castle was a fortress, watched by both royal guards and knights.

Anna heard movements behind the door, confirming her that Princess Elsa was still in her bedroom. _'Good. No accident so far. You are improving Anna! And… You are starting to talk to yourself again.'_ Anna frowned. She was more bored than she thought if she had already started her internal monologue to pass the time. So she looked at the windows before her on the other side of the corridor. She had a nice view of the training grounds. The sky was cloudless. Rays of sun were illuminating the fjords, and it was not too hot for a summer day. It was a perfect day to go outside.

_'Ah yes.'_ Anna suddenly remembered Tian's request.

However she had no idea how to convince the princess to leave her bedroom to go outside. She knew nothing of the princess that could help her.

_'Horse riding? Hmmm bad idea Anna. You'll be in trouble if the princess fell from her horse… Fishing? Oh my! What would happen if she falls in the lake? I'm doomed…'_

Each time Anna would think of a scenario, each time she would imagine the worst. After several minutes of intense reflection, she was starting to have a headache and feeling uncomfortable in her actual position. Anna adjusted her sword on her back to ease the pressure on her shoulder. Her father had forged it for her as a present. Since then, Anna had particularly taken care of it.

_'Sword? … That's it!'_

A knock.

Anna waited.

"Yes?"

"Princess Elsa. It's me Anna Thorstein. Well I'm the only one in the corridor, so yeah it's me…"

_'Oh no Anna don't start with you rambling'_

"I wanted to know, since the weather is nice today, if you would like to go outside. My father is working on several weapons for the royal guards right now. I wonder if you would like to see his work."

Anna didn't know why but when she had thought about it for the first time, it had seemed to be a good idea. But now that she was waiting for an answer, she was not so sure anymore. True it was interesting for her since it was her job. But now was it for the princess?

"I mean if you want it of course." Anna added in haste. "I just thought that it would be interesting for you to see how a blacksmith works. But I realize now you will be bored. Not that you're boring of course! Forging is boring. No wait! I didn't mean it like that…"

_'Anna… you suck.' _The redhead groaned.

She closed her eyes and leaned with her back on the door.

"Forget it. I'm…" Anna started apologizing when she heard the door being unlocked. She didn't have time to realize what was happening when she found herself falling backward. She tried to grasp something to stop her fall, but there weren't any. She closed her eyes then and waited for the impact. However she felt nothing except for an arm on her back and another around her waist, supporting her in midair. _'Lavender? I know that scent.'_ Anna opened her eyes and was welcome by a pair of clear blue eyes. _'Familiar.'_

"Beautiful." Anna said out loud without realizing it.

Princess Elsa blushed, her worry replaced with surprise. She hadn't expected Anna's words. Well she hadn't expected a falling Anna when she opened her door either. Hopefully she has been fast enough to catch her in her arms. Her arms? Finally Elsa realized in what position she was with Anna. The latter was in her arms, her face only an inch away from hers. Close. Too close. The sudden realization made Elsa yelp and remove her hands from Anna's body. Anna's eyes widened at the sudden disappearance of said hands.

She fell.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Elsa exclaimed, realizing what she had done.

"No! No! Don't worry! I'm fine." Anna smiled as she got up, massaging her butt. "I shouldn't have startled you by saying you are beautiful… Not that you aren't beautiful. You're gorgeous in fact. Wait what?"

Elsa's blush deepened. Anna had always succeeded in making her blush with her compliments. She smiled at the thought. Even now, she still did it.

"I'm sorry really. I should have warned you that I was opening the door." Elsa said.

"No it's me who shouldn't have leaned on the door." Anna replied in haste, clearly embarrassed.

Eventually, both girls laughed.

Anna relaxed. For ten years, rumors had circulated in the kingdom about the princess hidden in the royal castle. The rumors had been numerous and most of them stupid (like that one about the princess being a dragon in disguise). But the fact was the princess was a whole mystery. Only a few people had seen her and usually those people were silent concerning the royal member. Anna had expected the worse and feared to make a fool of herself in front of the princess. Well technically she had. But the princess hadn't mocked her and had only apologized. Like Tian and Sophia had said, Princess Elsa was a kind person and the rumors about her were just rumors.

"Well…" Anna eventually said. "I think I should go back to my post. Sorry for disturbing you."

"Oh." Elsa hesitated. "I thought you wanted to show me the smithy."

"You want to see it?" Anna asked in disbelief. She didn't expect that answer.

"It was the reason why I opened the door. It was to tell you yes." Elsa smiled.

"Oh that's great!" Anna shouted, excited. But she stopped when she remembered she was talking with the soon-to-be ruler of Arendelle. "I mean… In that case Princess, I'll be delighted to guide you there." She stated red of embarrassment. "Though, it would be preferable for you to change in more casual clothes to go outside. I don't think it would be wise to wander in the city as the princess of Arendelle. I will have more trouble to protect you."

Elsa nodded. Indeed, her actual dress was quite ostentatious to wander in the kingdom. "Let me a moment to change then."

"I'll be in front of your door, Princess."

A small laugh escaped Elsa's lips. "You can call me Elsa, Anna."

Anna stared at Elsa, mouth agape. "I… I… Okay Princ… I mean Elsa."

Elsa's smile widened. Eventually she closed the door.

-X-

Elsa didn't know what went through her mind to accept the invitation. She could have stayed silent the whole day. Anna would have stayed in front of her bedroom until Tian and Sophia's return. She would have left and both women would have never met again. But everything had changed when Elsa had heard Anna's voice through the door. Her voice. Her suave voice. Elsa had tried to resist to the temptation of opening the door. She had resisted until she had heard Anna again. This time there had been disappointment in her voice. It has been the straw that breaks the camel's back. It was only for a day, Elsa had said to herself. There was no harm in seeing Anna only for a day. Everything would be fine. Thus she had got up and opened the door to see Anna falling in her arms. She had missed her. Deeply. When Anna had smiled she couldn't but smiled at her turn, a warm feeling awakening inside her finally after a year.

Elsa didn't waste time to change and ended up in dark tight pants and a blue tunic. She had been lucky that Sophia gave her those clothes for emergencies that would force her to leave the castle. Elsa put on her gloves and looked at herself in the mirror, checking if she was presentable. _She was_.

_'Okay let's go! No turning back Elsa!'_

Resolute, she opened the door of her bedroom. Anna was waiting for her, steadfast in front of the door like a perfect bodyguard. The royal smiled. Anna was anxious; otherwise she wouldn't be so tensed. But Elsa felt a pang in her chest and her smiled disappeared, realizing that Anna was tensed because of her. For the younger girl, Elsa was the princess of Arendelle, soon-to-be ruler of the kingdom. In other words, she was unreachable and powerful. She was "her master", the person she had to obey and respect, and not anymore her friend and lover. What they had in the past was gone now and it was hurting Elsa.

Anna turned around after hearing the door opening. She froze when she saw Elsa. The latter could discern a light blush in the knight's cheeks.

_'At least I still have an effect on her.'_ The princess smirked.

"Ready to go?" Elsa asked.

"Yes we are." Anna reacted, snapping out of her trance.

"Good then..."

"Wait" Anna suddenly said.

"Is there a problem?"

"Your hair."

Elsa instinctively touched her hair, still tied in a bun.

"You are still recognizable with your hair style. We need to change it. May I?"

Elsa nodded, by reflex. She regretted it immediately when she felt Anna's hands on her head. She was not ready for that and so closed her eyes, warmth gathering in her cheeks. Anna's hands had changed. They were now calloused, because of her training with the royal knights and her father. But to Elsa's surprise, they were still soft. Her touch was tender, like they were handing a flower with care. It was still the same as before. It took Elsa's all willpower to not moan because of it. The royal eventually opened her eyes, overwhelmed by the sensations. She met however Anna's eyes. Deep teal eyes, filled with longing?

_'Maybe it was not the best choice.' _Elsa realized.

Before she knew it, Elsa felt her bun being untied and her braid, now free, being brought on her left shoulder. Anna didn't move afterward, still gingerly holding Elsa's braid between her fingers. Her other hand slowly reach for Elsa's fringe to pull it back and clear the princess' vision, to see those clear blue eyes. Accidentally her fingers brushed pale skin. Elsa gasped at the contact. Immediately Anna pulled her hand back, realizing what she was doing a moment ago. She panicked and walked away.

"I... I'm sorry! I shouldn't have..." Anna stuttered. She didn't know what got her. When she touched Elsa's hair she felt tingles in her fingers, a familiar sensation that persuaded her to keep going. The feeling had been emphasized by the princess deep opal eyes, and she could do nothing but being drawn to them. _'So familiar'_

"Don't worry. It's alright." Elsa reassured her, her cheeks red.

"You're sure?" Anna was not convinced.

"Yes. Look"

She passed her hands through her hair to pull them back. She secretly froze the strands to keep them in place. Anna was gaping at her, astonished by the princess' new look.

"H... How?" She inquired.

"That's my little secret." Elsa smiled. "So ready to go?"

Anna nodded, still shaken by the event of earlier. But she quickly got hold of herself and left, with the princess by her side, the castle.

Anna was tensed. When she had thought of seeing her father, she had forgotten the crowded streets she had to go through to reach him. All her senses were in alert, checking out any potential threats around her and the princess. Fortunately, Elsa's disguise seemed to work as no one was paying attention to her. For all that, Anna didn't relax though. The danger was still present. Tian gave her a mission: protecting Elsa. And protecting her she would. The frown already present on Anna's face deepened. The young knight was so focused on her mission she didn't notice Elsa slowly closing the gap between them. However she did feel gloved fingers intertwining with hers. She stared at the princess next to her, totally startled and red.

"Pr… Elsa… What are you doing?" She stuttered.

"I think people will get less suspicious if we act like a young couple than a knight protecting a princess, don't you think." Elsa smiled.

"I…I…" Anna tried to form words in her head, but to no avail. So she ended up staring at her protégée mouth agape, and red to the ears. Eventually she looked away, but her blush didn't disappear, initiating a small laugh from Elsa.

_'Oh my god Anna! Get yourself together! Be professional!'_ The knight chastised herself.

But the task happened difficult as long fingers were touching hers. It was quite distracting and she got more tensed. After several minutes, both girls arrived at the smithy. Elsa automatically released Anna's hand. The bodyguard was thankful of the action, but deep inside her she felt a pang in her chest at the loss of contact. Without realizing it, Anna got used to the princess' touches, or she had been already? Anna frowned. It was not the first time she had those sensations of déjà-vu. But it was the first time, they were so intense.

"Anna? What are you doing here?"

The redhead snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her father. '_Ha yes_'

"Dad! I want to show my friend the wonder of forging. Is it okay if she can watch?"

A pause.

Vlad looked at both women, thinking. Anna tensed, hoping her father wouldn't recognize Elsa, or the situation would be more awkward than it was already. Elsa seemed anxious too.

"Okay, bring the bench here, so she could see." He eventually said.

Anna released her breath she had been holding without noticing it. _'Good.'_ She quickly entered her house and came back with a small bench she put next to the workshop. She put her sword on the bench, invited Elsa to sit and sat next to her. Vlad didn't waste time and started working, with Anna explaining all the process to the princess.

-X-

Elsa nodded as Anna's explanation, but she wasn't listening. She was repeating in her head the sooner events, when she took Anna's hand in her own. It was a bold move. She knew it. But after she saw Anna being tense because of her, she had to do something. The situation was becoming dangerous. Elsa had sworn to distance herself from Anna, and here she was with the person she had been trying to avoid. The worst? She didn't care anymore. The more she was watching Anna talking, the more she realized that her decision a year ago was totally stupid. It would be so easy to tell her the truth now so they would be together once again. Anna would remember everything if she told her about the accident, their past together, about…

Elsa froze.

_'About that…'_ No. She couldn't. She couldn't tell her the truth. No. If she told her the truth, she had to tell her that…

"Relax Elsa." Anna interrupted her line of thought.

"W…What?"

"You are clutching your gloves in your hands."

Elsa looked at said gloves in her hands, surprised she had removed them without realizing it. _'Damn'_. Anna had always insisted that she removed her gloves when they were together. She had done it by reflex.

"You always do that when you're stressed…" Anna added. "What?"

Anna blinked. _'How do I know that?' _Suddenly, she felt a huge pain in her head. She closed her eyes and winced.

Elsa stared at her, horrified. Anna still had faint snippets of the past without being aware of them. However she was having a headache because of them. _'What will happen if I tell her everything?'_ Elsa noticed Anna's white strand and memories of the past filled her mind.

_Screams. Snow. Anna…_

Elsa's breath became ragged as fear was creeping in her mind. The temperature around the bench was falling and Elsa looked at her bare hand which was touching the bench. Frost and ice were spreading across the bench. _'No no!'_ Elsa checked on Anna, relieved that her bodyguard had still her eyes closed. But it wouldn't be for long.

Indeed, Anna was already feeling better, the headache slowly subsiding. Elsa panicked, trying desperately to control her power, but couldn't in her state. Suddenly, when Anna was going to open her eyes, she heard her father calling her.

"Anna! I need your help!"

Anna immediately got up and ran toward her father, recognizing his tone. When he was talking like this, there was no place for an argument and time for him to wait. She took her tools and helped him, not noticing the state of the bench meanwhile. Elsa was grateful for it. Alone on the bench and making sure no one was looking at her; the princess closed her eyes and focused. _'Conceal, don't feel.' _Gradually, the bench was back to its initial state, with no traces of ice and frost anymore. Elsa sighed in relief. She quickly put her gloves back on and acted like nothing happened, watching the Thorstein family working.

Vlad was controlling the temperature of the foundry and turning the blade from side to side, while Anna was hammering it. Because of the warmth of the fire, the redhead was sweating already after several minutes. Elsa noticed that particular sweat drop that started from Anna's temple to follow the line of her neck and end up in her shirt, surely between her breasts…

'_Stop it Elsa! Bad! Bad girl!' _Elsa blushed and looked away. She was wrong. She shouldn't have accepted Anna's proposition and stayed in her room. The earlier accident was the proof. She couldn't be near Anna. She needed to leave.

After a couple of hours, Anna and Vlad eventually finished the sword. Elsa had watched, silent and attentive, despite her inner turmoil. She wanted to leave, but it would have been rude to do it in the middle of the show. It would have hurt Anna, who was so eager to show her the foundry.

When Anna turned around to show her the sword, grinning, Elsa smiled as well. But unknown to her, the royal wasn't able to fool Anna with her smile and the knight froze when she saw the sadness in the princess' eyes. She felt an arch in her heart assuming that Elsa didn't enjoy the show. Her smile disappeared.

"Thank you for this demonstration Anna, M. Thorstein." Elsa started. "I think it is time for me to leave now." She got up.

"Wait!" Anna suddenly shouted. Elsa looked at her surprised. "The day is not over…"

_'Stop it Anna, you're a failure, it's over.'_ The redhead heard in her head. Her inner voice was right. She had failed one of her mission. She should now stick to her primary one: protecting the princess on her way home. But no. She couldn't give up like that. She didn't know why but Elsa's happiness mattered to her. Right now, the princess was not happy. It was not right.

"I know a place. A really beautiful place… I would like to know if you would accept to go there with me, to have lunch."

"I don't know…" Elsa whispered.

"Please."

Silence.

Elsa sighed. _'I'm such a masochist.'_ She thought. "How can I refuse now?" She genuinely smiled.

Anna beamed. "Okay, wait here! I'm going to clean myself and prepare everything." She ran in her house.

Elsa waited, standing near the bench, while Vlad was silently cleaning the workplace to continue his work. Both people stayed silent until Elsa spoke.

"Thank you for earlier. I really thought that Anna would have discovered everything."

"It was nothing your highness." He only replied.

"Please, call me Elsa, Vlad. After what happened, I'm sure formalities are not needed."

"I'm still trying to figure out why you are both here… together."

Elsa laughed. "I think Tian asked Anna to stop me from sulking alone in my bedroom. Anna thought of making me visit the forge. She always does that when she wants me to relax. Always the forge. She loves and respects you a lot."

"But it didn't stop her from wanting to become a royal knight at the end."

"She wanted to because of me, and I apologize for that. It was my mistake."

The blacksmith stopped everything and glanced at the princess. She was looking at the ground, apologizing. She had her arms crossed, her hands holding tightly her arms. She was tensed. Vlad couldn't do anything but admire her selflessness. She was taking the entire burden on her shoulder, even when it was not her responsibility to carry it. He sighed.

"I should be the one to apologize to both of you. You are both suffering because of us." He said.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Anna and I are living our own life now. She will be a great blacksmith. I'm sure."

Before Vlad could speak, Anna burst into the workshop, dressed with clean clothes and a small package in her hand.

"Okay ready to go." She grinned.

Both Vlad and Elsa grinned as well. Anna's smile was really contagious. Without wasting time, Anna picked up her sword and left the workshop, followed by the princess. Before leaving though she turned toward her father.

"Till tonight dad!"

"Take care firefly."

-X-

"Here have some chocolate." Anna grinned.

Elsa eagerly took one piece from the box before looking back at Arendelle and the fjords while eating.

The place, Anna has been talking about, was a small clearing outside of the city by the sea. It was a peaceful place, not too hot thanks to a small wind to freshen up the air.

When they had arrived earlier, Anna had put a picnic tablecloth on the grass and had invited Elsa to sit. She had sat next to her and immediately opened the package she had brought with her to reveal chocolates. Elsa had genuinely smiled at the view of the pastry. Both girls ate in silence. Without realizing it, Anna was letting to Elsa all her favorite chocolate, which made the latter smile.

Eventually in no time, they emptied the box. They didn't move afterward, just admiring the view. Neither the girls dared to talk by fear of the other's reaction. Anna had noticed the changes in Elsa's attitude. The princess had distanced herself. The closeness they had shared before arriving at the forge was not there anymore. Anna deeply believed it was because of her and her decision to show her the smithy. She berated herself for that.

"Elsa?" Anna finally said.

"Yes?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not, why?"

"Since we left the smithy, you seemed… sad. Is it because of the demonstration or did I do something wrong?"

"No NO. You did nothing wrong and I really liked your demonstration." Elsa quickly replied. "It's just… I realized that things are changing now and not in the way I wished for." She looked away. _'We will never be together and I'll be alone until the end.'_

Anna observed the princess, deducing that the latter was talking about her parents.

"You know." She started. "When my mother died, I felt lost. She had always been there for dad and I. Dad worked all day to forget. At that time I couldn't do much to help him, so I started wandering from places to places. I discovered that place, one day when I got lost. I stayed here for a moment, thinking. At the end, that place helped me to feel better. To let it go. So when I feel a little bit down I always come here."

"Anna…"

"That's why I wanted to show you that place. If you happen to have a really bad day or feel sad, you are free to come here. I haven't lost both of my parents. But I know that if I were to lose dad, I would be devastated."

"Anna…"

"I know that life will be hard for you soon. You'll have a kingdom to rule, people to protect and help. But you must know that you are not alone."

Elsa froze.

"People care for you. Tian and Sophia are here for you. I am here for you, if you let me of course." Anna laughed. But she stopped when she glanced at Elsa. Tears were gathering in the princess' eyes. _'Damn what did I do again? Anna can't you do anything right?'_

Elsa couldn't believe it. How Anna did this? How did she know the words to comfort her? How was it possible for her to be so perfect?

_'I love her so much'_

Elsa wanted to hold Anna in her arms, to say she loved her, to kiss her. But she couldn't. Anna was now unreachable and that was eating her inside. She couldn't stop her tears from falling.

Anna started to panic.

"Oh no I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry! I…"

But the bodyguard didn't have time to finish her sentence as she felt slender arms around her waist, holding her tight, and Elsa's head in the crook of her neck, sobbing. Anna froze. _'Okay I didn't expect that.'_

"Thank you." Elsa managed to say between sobs.

Anna's expressions softened. She slightly relaxed to accommodate her new position and put her arms around the princess. She massaged her back in a comforting manner while saying nice words in her ears.

"It is my duty to make you happy." She eventually whispered.

-X-

"Anna."

The redhead looked up and saw Tian and Sophia in the corridor. After Elsa had eventually calmed herself, they decided to go back to the royal castle. Elsa had entered her room, thanking Anna for her journey and closed the door. Anna guarded the door, waiting for Elsa's personal bodyguard to come.

She bowed at the view of Tian and Sophia.

"Tian, Sophia. I hope you had a great day." She smiled.

"It was great indeed." Sophia replied, smiling and obviously feeling better. Tian gave her a small peck on her lips, glad as well.

"I hope that you have fulfilled your mission with success, Anna." Tian finally asked.

"Yes both of them." Anna only answered.

"Thank you for your help then. We will take it from there."

Anna bowed. She gave a side glance to the door before walking away. Tian and Sophia took their places on both side of the door. They waited a moment until they heard Elsa talking.

"Thank you Tian."

"I don't know what you are talking about Princess." Tian said a small smile on her face.

Elsa chuckled. She was not a fool. Only one person could possibly cheer her up in those dark times. Tian did everything to bring that person to her. Elsa couldn't lie to herself she was grateful that Tian did it. Despite the hurtful events, she had enjoyed the day. She felt at peace. That day has opened her eyes, it was time to let it go.

"I'm glad that you are back also Sophia." She added.

"Sorry for my absence, princess."

"No need to apologize."

-X-

Anna was leaving the royal palace when she stopped and turned around. She stared at a window, the window just in front of the princess' bedroom. Then she looked at her hands, still feeling tingles in her fingers. Again she had that sensation of déjà-vu when she had been with Elsa. This time the feeling had been intense when she had hugged her. It felt right and when they departed, Anna felt empty. What was happening to her? She had met the princess for the first time only today, but her body had reacted like she had known her all her life.

Anna shook her head and left


End file.
